This kickstarter project was a fundraiser for Austin Bat Cave, a non-profit group in Texas. Fliss stumbled upon it while surfing the short-list one afternoon in mid-November. (What I call the short-list is termed "Ending Soon" on the website.)
The project was titled "Hand & Wing" and involved sending volunteers, on a weekly basis, to schools in Austin. These volunteers then helped students find their own "voice" in written form. Nice, yes? Any and every little thing which encourages pre-teens and teens and read and to express themselves in written form is of worth to our nation.
Definitely worthwhile, then, even though I knew no one in Austin and don't believe I ever have. That is, I had no personal stake in funding this endeavor. So, why did I? Especially as the project had already met and surpassed its fundraising goal, why chip in some of my own money?
I wanted the haiku thank you card. The projects on kickstarter all offer "rewards" for various donation levels. Some of these rewards are quite inventive, adding to the creativity quotient of the project. "Hand & Wing" had some very interesting rewards and the one that caught my eye read, "Buy a Word :: Pledge us a five-spot and we'll send you a word -- your choice of 'gawsy', 'jape', 'slipslop', 'mooncalf', or 'vermiculate' -- defined and mailed ... to your door with our thank you written in Haiku on the back."
How could I not be part of this exercise in literacy??? I looked up the words listed to find the one most appealing. Then I pledged a little more than asked, requested the word "gawsy", and settled back to wait for the mail to bring my treat. This week, the postman delivered!
My word choice was defined as an adjective, meaning "well-dressed and cheerful". Nice! But the haiku really captured my heart:
The insects shine bright
to our blinded eyes because
of your giving heart.
Well done, bats of Texas, well done!
